Viswam Censor: 14 Cuts, Including Violence & Dialogue Changes
Viswam, starring Gopichand and directed by Srinu Vaitla, is set to hit theaters on October 11th. Produced by TG Vishwaprasad under People's Media Factory and Chitralayam Studios, the film is a crucial release for the team, each grappling with recent setbacks.
The movie, with a runtime of 2:36 hours, has undergone a significant number of cuts by the Censor Board. Here's a breakdown of the 14 scenes that were edited:
1. Location Change: The restaurant in the film was originally set in Tangedu, but the Censor Board insisted on changing the location to Dwaraka.
2. Dialogue Alteration: The word "Baddalu" (a derogatory term) was replaced with "tears" in one scene.
3. Blurred Romance: A romantic song featuring Gopichand and Kavya Thapar was slightly blurred due to the heroine's glamorous attire.
4. Violence Reduction: A scene at 1:13:14 showing a villain cutting off his hand was edited to avoid graphic visuals.
5. Gunshot Alteration: A scene at 1:15:22 showing a bullet from a gun in a side shot was also edited for violence.
6. Excessive Violence Removed: Scenes with excessive violence at 1:16:50 were deleted entirely.
7. Blurred Knife Scene: The scene where a knife lands on a bully's forehead was blurred instead of being removed.
8. Dead Body Visuals Deleted: Several visuals of dead bodies were deleted from the film.
9. Railway Muting: The word "railway" was muted in the train episode due to concerns from the railway authorities.
10. Comedian's Visuals Edited: Visuals involving the comedian and his interactions with women were edited to change camera angles and avoid potentially offensive content.
11. Action Scene Cuts: Action scenes depicting the hero's fight against the villain's gang were cut as they were deemed too violent for family audiences.
12. Blurred Dead Bodies: Visuals of dead bodies were slightly blurred throughout the film.
13. Pre-Climax Bloodshed Reduced: Excessive bloodshed in a pre-climax scene was covered by the siege.
14. Terrorist Finger Cutting Scene Edited: The scene where a terrorist cuts a finger in the climax was edited, with only the visuals of the act being removed.
The numerous edits suggest a stringent approach by the Censor Board in terms of violence and dialogue. It remains to be seen how these cuts will affect the film's narrative and impact its reception by the audience.